Hipsters Versus Yuppies? Who Cares Anymore?
By Tankboy in Arts & Entertainment on May 11, 2006 6:31PM
Frankly, Chicagoist has grown sick of the whole yuppie versus hipster versus Gamera versus Donkey Kong debate so we decided to investigate whether or not it was even possible for all of these groups to coexist peacefully. We found our answer in the most unlikely location.
Chicagoist has hung out at Liar’s Club pretty much since it opened and we can even be found in the DJ booth from time to time. Amongst our friends the place definitely is viewed through the lens o’ rawk since the place is crawling with members of local bands (both famous and infamous) as well as being the choice of out-of-town rock stars and wannabes (Josh Homme and Nic Cage to name one from each subset.) The place is still decorated with Shriner material bought at an auction years ago and the décor could politely be described as dark and ramshackle with a fine haze of cigarette smoke hovering over every surface. Just our kind of place. Proprietor Herb Rosen can be found bounding around the room doling out enough Maker’s Mark to stupefy an elephant amongst the patrons. The staff is primarily musicians from legendary Chicago groups like Naked Raygun and The Beernuts. The club has featured secret shows by many bands including Local H and Eagles Of Death Metal and fundraisers for groups like The Windy City Rollers.
So we would say Liar’s Club has a pretty unassailable set of hipster / rocker / pre-gentrification credentials.
So imagine our surprise when we came to the gradual realization – one we must have known all these years but never really connected to – that the place is usually crawling with Trixies and Chads…especially on Fridays and Saturdays! They’re dancing, milling about and downing shots shoulder to shoulder to, and often with, Chicago’s most infamous rock and/or rollers.. And everyone gets along! The music often veers from Kiss to Kanye to The Descendents to whatever cool electro-tigned track is making the girls all wet in Wrigleyville that week and everyone loves it. We even enjoy über-hipster Johnny Love's monthly residency, and he's someone even Chicagoist views as too hip for their own good, since that furthers the notion of Liar’s as the bar that suits every taste.
We once believed that the only place hipsters and yuppies would ever see eye to eye was in heaven but now we realize we were heading in the wrong direction; Liar’s Club is only place where everyone gets along, stereotypes are checked at the door and the only thing anyone gives a flying fuck about is having a good time.
Oh, and taking some photo booth pictures. People care about that too. Just another reason to love Liar’s Club.